Need some spring in your step? The spring-loaded technology in Spira running shoes (MSRP $130) is billed as possibly “the most significant advancement ever achieved in the footwear industry.” The coiled springs imbedded in the heel and forefoot of the Spira sole serve as shock absorbers and are designed to reduce runner fatigue. The four-year-old El Paso sneaker maker’s coiled innovation is considered too beneficial and has been banned by the two governing bodies of track and field – the International Amateur Athletic Federation and USA Track & Field. Last week the young company’s founders, brothers David and Andy Krasfur, offered $1 million to any man or woman who can win the 2006 Boston Marathon in a pair of banned Spiras – an offer that would likely rank as the largest payout in the history of professional running.
“You have this old, antiquated rule that doesn’t make sense anymore,” said Andy Krasfur, who announced the prize Sunday at the end of the New York City Marathon. “We like to think we are the oversized tennis racket, the metal driver, the metal ski and the aluminum baseball bat all rolled into one. This is technology anyone in the world can use.”
Get it — Check out the springy Spira at www.spirafootwear.com and register for a Spira-shod Boston Marathon at www.spirabannedinboston.com.
